A CALIFORNIA-BASED airline planning to specialise in house removals begins intra-US and transcontinental operations in June with a Lockheed L-1011.
Greg Ingles, chief executive officer of La Jolla-based AirMove, explains: "Household and trade-show shipments will be moved much faster."
AirMove's aim is to cut by more than 50% the time taken to transport these goods by conventional road/rail links, as well as offering secure containerised shipping. The company intends to provide coast-to-coast, door-to-door delivery in 72h.
Rather than compete head-on, with existing removal companies, AirMove is negotiating deals with several of the US majors. "We're proposing these companies move a certain amount of coast-to-coast work via air," says Ingles. The logo and overall paint schemes of the removal firms would appear on the fuselage, while the AirMove logo would be retained on the tail.
As well as gelling with removal companies, AirMove plans to develop other specialised cargo services, such as food delivery and aircraft-on-ground spares. The company's ground infrastructure will hinge on specially developed tractor/trailer combinations.
These low-flatbed trailers will carry a new type of container, which AirMove is tailoring to the shipment of furniture, exhibition stands and office equipment. "There were too many limitations with LD3 containers," explains Ingles.
AirMove is targeting former military bases as suitable gateways. The first route, for example, linking Los Angeles and New York will use the former US Air Force stations, at Norton AFB, California, and Stewart AFB, New York. The fleet is expected to grow to "between eight and ten aircraft," over the next two years, claims Ingles.
Source: Flight International